Better Together - Building Relationships...

The population of children with visual impairment has grown increasingly diverse in recent years. A growing number of students with visual impairment are being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The relationship between autism and visual impairment is complex. Therefore, the issues related to identification of autism in children with visual impairment remain controversial. As the theoretical controversies continue, parents and teachers are faced with a growing number of visually impaired students who have trouble building social connections, which typical sighted children establish during the first years of life. The goal of this manual is to provide practical suggestions for teachers and parents who want to build important foundational relationships and teach social skills to children with visual impairments and autism or other types of atypical social development. Better Together provides a systematic scope and sequence of relationship-based goals and objectives, as well as examples of activities and strategies for teaching the objectives. Sample thematic units are presented that can be used by teachers to organize relationship-based instruction.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction

Autism and Asperger's Syndrome

Diagnostic Criteria for Autistic Disorder

Diagnostic Criteria for Asperger's Disorder

Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified

What's In A Name? Questioning the Autism Diagnosis of Children with Visual Impairment

Overview of Approaches for Teaching Children with Autism

Continuum of Current Treatment Approaches

Categorical Comparison of Current Educational Approaches

Resources for Teaching the Student with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Visual Impairment

Why a Relationship-Based Approach for Visually Impaired Children with Autism?

Goals of this Guide

Chapter 2 Curriculum Scope and Sequence

Domains Used in Better Together Curriculum

Descriptions of Levels in Social Skills Curriculum

Level 1 Developmental Level 0-6 months

Level 2 Developmental Level 6-18 months

Level 3 Developmental Level 18-36 months

Level 4 Developmental Level 36-60 months

Level 5 Developmental Level 5 years-7 years

Chapter 3 Relationship-based Evaluation

Evaluation of Student Skills

Social Interaction

Communication

Social Cognition

Emotional Development

Chapter 4 Strategies for Building Relationships

Stage 1 Getting Ready

Medical and Educational Histories

Interview Parents and Previous Teachers

Understand the Implications of Specific Visual Problems for Social Learning

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